Side door construction for dump vehicles



Jan. 19, 1965 H. F. FLOWERS 3,166,022

SIDE DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR DUMP VEHICLES Filed July 2, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet l FIG-.1.

HENRY Fem TLowERs INVENT OR ATTORNEY .5

Jan. 19, 1965 H. F. FLOWERS 3,166,022

SIDE DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR DUMP VEHICLES Filed July 2, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 HENRY Pom Ramses INVENT OR ATTORNEY 5 Jan. 19, 1965 H. F. FLOWERS SIDE DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR DUMP VEHICLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 2, 1963 HENRY Q T FLOUJERS INVENTOR 5%Wdq, @1122,

ATTORNEYS Jan. 19, 1965 H. F. FpowERs SIDE DOOR CONSTRUC/TION FOR DUMP VEHICLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 2, 1963 ATTORNEYS I vehicle having a dumping side door;

Patented J an." 19, 15965 3,166,022 SIDE DUOR CGNSTRUCTIGN FOR VEIHCLES Henry Fort Flowers, 3023 Del Monte Drive, Houston, Tex. Filed July 2, 1963, Ser. No. 292,227 6 Claims. ((Il. 105-461) DUMP The invention of which the following is a description in detail, relates to a side door construction for dump vehicles, possessing numerous improvements and advantages over the accepted designs now in production.

Thepresent tendency being toward the use of lighter metal sheets and even lighter metals'in the fabrication of dump vehicles, is recognized as being most advantageous both in point of construction and also economy. However, the maintenance of satisfactory durability demands definite alterations in design. It has also been found that in ordinary construction, the hinge structures of the down turning side door is frequently interfered with by material dropping between the vehicle floor and the door, thus interfering with the movement of the hingeand the completion of its opening movement.

The present invention comprises a re-design of the downturning side door, so that it is braced at the top, again atthe mid-portion over the hinges and also at the bottom edges, where the bulk of material weighs heaviest in the opening movement.

side door with a triangular box sectionwhich reinforces the upperv portion of "the door and insures its rigidity and strengthp-- A further object of the invention is to brace the midportion. of the door bot-l1 horizontally andfrom below,

Likewise the novel struc-[ ture includes a positive stopfor the door hinges which so that it will have adequate support in the downturning t movement.

A still further object of the invention is to reinforce the lower-portion of the door by means of lateral braces both extending to the outer the hinge members.

Among the objects of the-invention is to provide easy of the linkage for the downaccess to the hinge pins turning door. V A still further object of the invention is to fleeting. apron extended laterally from the car floor.

The preferred form of the invention has been illustrated by way of examplein the accompanying drawings in which: V p I FIGURE 1 is a partiahsideview of a railway dump FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an -enlarged vertical section on thejiline" the dump truck has an hnderframe with a central box. beamor sill 11.

has pairsot journal-.bfiarin'gs 14,J14for fiuidtair) lift cylinders 15. Two such 'cylindersare mounted'oneaeh side of the underframefor tilting the vehicle bodyin one or the opposite lateral direction 7 panel of the door and to, V

v provide means on the door for a positivestop against the de- The car body has a floor plate 16 mounted upon cross beams 17, spaced parallel along the length ofthe floor plat-e. These floor'beams 17 carry pivot pins 18, having bushings 19. a

The bus ings. 19 rest removably in arcuate housings 20. In. this manner the dump body can be tilted-by the pressure cylinders into the discharge position as shown in FIGURE 3.

A sleeve 21 is carried upon each pivot pinl8 and serves 7 to .operate the device for opening the door on the down side of the tilted vehicle body. e a

The opposite sleeves 21, 21 are controlled by individual control arms 22. Each arm 22 has one endoscillatingly journaled in the housing 20, while the opposite end is slidably carried in the sleeve 21.

In the outer end of each sleeve 21 there is a pivot23,

which reciprocates within that end of the sleeve depend--' ing upon the control from the arm 22 and the rocking of the sleeve 21.

This pivot 23 is connected by link 24 tothe door operating device.

The structure above described haslbeen disclosed in I the Flowers-patent March 18, 1958, No. 2,826,999, to

bot-tom plate 27 and opposite side plates 28 The door itself comprises an inner side 29 which is formed of a sheet metal plate of suitable thickness, rigidity and strength when adequately supported and braced.

Part of the bracing for the inner side of the door includes a top panel 30, This 'iswelded or otherwise attached along the upper edge of the door 29; 'iThe panel inclines downwardly and away from the inner sidewall 29, topwhich it is fastened :by .a substantially horizontal 'brace' 31. v This brace 31 i's'welded to both thetop panel 3t? and thedoor295. p V An end panel '32fclosesthe triangle formed bythe members219, 3t) and 31.

Spaced below the brace31 ahdextending longitudinally of the door, are'reinforcing"web /33, 34;;gflheseare, welded to the lower portion of the 'inner side of'thed-rop sidejdoor 29. Being of general U-shape, these form boxgirder' for reinforcing the door29'at spaced points. A brace plate 35 is weldedvto the top panel 'l sttand flat 'againstthe, outer'portion of thes'paced webs 33, 34. The Y brace plates 35 form coversfor the areas occupiedfby the hinge members. The brace plates 35 each have 'a lower V inwardly curved section-37. f'Thes e sections are narrower' than the brace 35, and. the" latter thus forms shoulders IGURE 2' is an enlarged fragmentary Side elevation of the door partly in section; 1 V

. FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical section of the dump vehicle in discharging position taken on'the 'line, ;3-3 of Outer plates 38, ds-bridgeiitlief openingbetw een the I upperpanelfit) and the webs 33; 34.

Beneath each brace-plate 35 is a parallelbrace plate 39. -1This plate- 3 9 welded orotherwise attached to'theouter; surface of. the drop :side door 29 immediately below the transvei seibrace 31.; At its lower;end,f.the iplate39 is fastenedfto the (P1GURE4).i 1 v p The brace 39 carries at its lower end a pair of spaced 3 hinge brackets 41, 42. Thesebracke'ts'carry lined bearings 43, 44, longitudinally spaged; The bearings of the f' two brackets are in alignment.

This underframe also has bolsters12,.

- '12, with extend laterally over the trucks. The bolsters support trunnion bearings lis, 13. The underfiramefalso 011; FIGURE "1, the brackets41, 42 are shown to be ofthe narrowed portion 37 of the do9r 29 by, means of parallel struts 4t a o i The notched shoulders 36,

. the apron 25 and thus limit the downward movement of the drop side door 29. V

36 come to'rest on the face of; g

A hinge pin 45 (FIGURE'B) runs transversely throughf the, bearings 43 and is mounted mime opposite sidewalls x 28 of thebox Z6.

-"'A second hinge pin 46 passes througlithe: aligned bearing 44v The hinge pin 46 in its intermediate portion between the bearings 4d-carries aflink 24. This linkis connected tolthe pivot 23." As a consequence the rnovement of the'pivot 23 in the sleeve 21 operates the down- 7 Ward movement of the drop side door throughthe liilk'24. V o v 7 I The upper-end of each bracketfll, 42 is formed as an arm or pad 47. This is firmly attached to the outer surfface of thebrace plate 39. 7

' *is' fully opened. V 7

4. Ina dumpvehicle having-an underframe,' a body tiltably journale'd on the uhderframe, said body having a a bottom andends, an apertured apron extending down ItWillbe seen from FIGURE 5 that the side plates 28 V I of the box 26 have two holes '48 and 49.

, When the door is opened partially and held in any convenie'nt position by means of a bolt, link or chain, or supported by a prop, the pivot 23 is"brou'ght in line with the'opening 48 and-at the same time the hingepin 46 is brought in line with the opening 49. This permits ready 7 removal of the pivo t 23 and hinge pin 46, thus facilitating the dismantling 9 flQOr and its separation from the p ilg mechanism; a I

removal of the hinge pins." l

The invention has: been described way'oi example.

-It may,'however,be embodied in fvarious structuregpro- 7 portions and materials, within-the scope of the appended for installation and door tilting meansa 7 V 5; In a dump vehiclerhaving an underfrarne,a body 3. 111 a dump vehicle having an underframe, a body 'tiltably journaled on the. underframe, said body having a bottomand ends, 'an apertured apron extending downwardly from each side of the bottom, side doors hinged to the body, means on the underframe for tilting each ,door, each door comprising'an inner, side, atop panel attached'thereto, a brace connecting the lower edge of the panel to the side, a longitudinal box girder on the lower portion of the side, and outer brace plates attached to the panel and to the midportion of the girder and having arcuate narrowed portions extending through the apertures'of the apron and having 'adjacentshoulders resting,

onthe apron on each side of the aperture when the-door Wardly from each side of the bottom, side doors hinged to the body, means on the 'un derframe for tilting each door, each=door comprising an inner side, atop panel attached theret'ofa brace connecting the lower edge'of the panel torth'e side, alongitudinal box girder onthe lower portion'ofitheside, outer brace plates attached 'to.

the panel and to the midportion of the girder and having portions extending through the apertures of the apron, an inner brace plateparallel to the outer brace plate and attached atoits upper end to the inner door side, parallel 'stru ts between the inner door side" and the inner brace I, plate, a pair of spaced brackets attached to the'inner brace plate, and separate hinge connections ,between' the'brackets and thevehicle body and between the brackets and the tiltably journaled on the underframe, said body having a bottom and ends, an apertured apron extending "down- *wardly from the'bottom, a sideplate on each side of each aperture connecting thebottom with the apron, aside 50 {2,745,359 5/561; Lufnde idoor} spaced hinge brackets on the side 'door' extending :through the apertures of theapron, a hinge pin on the r v 1. In "a dumpwehicle having,anpnderframe, a-bodytiltably journaled on the underfrarne, said body 'having'fa bottoinlandi ends, .an apertured .aproniextending down- "wardly from each sideof'the bottom, side doors-hinged -to the body, means on the underframe'for -tilting' .each door, each; doorfcomprising an inner, side, f a top panel attachedithereto, a brace conneeting'theilower edge-of the j panel 'to the side, a longitudinal boxa girder on the" lower, 5' 1 ,portion'yot the side, andoute r 'braee plates' attached ,to .the panel. and to the rnidportion ofthegirder and having- 1 portions extending through fthe apertures of the apron.-" A 2, In;aidump'vehiclejhaving-anunderfram'e,arbodyff tiltablyjournaled'on'the underflfame, said body having a b ottomand ends, .an apertured apronextendingfdown-T .wardlyi fromeach s ide of the bottom, sideidoors hinged }to; the body, means on'the nnderframe :fOI' tilting each" door, eachi doorcomprising, anair'merj side, a; top panel; 3 jattacl ied thereto,abraceconnectingjthe ioweredge of the panel to, the side, a longitudinal boxigirder onjihe lower portion of 'theside and outerflbrlaceplates attached to the panel and to the-midportiori ogthegirder andhavingg v narrowedportions.extendingrthrongh the aperturesof the fapron and having adjacentshoulders resting on the aprjon T ion each side of the aperture when thefdoor is fully opened.

body andf supporting the brackets, a pivot pin on the door isapartially tilted.

j.16.' A down-turning side door for a dump vehiclecomf prising an inner side, a top panel attached thereto, abrace connecting the lower edge ofthe paneltoltheside, a' longif j tudinal'box girder ori'the lower portion of the side, iouter"- j -braceplates attachedl to the panel and to thefgird'er, an-

1 inner brace plate parallel to the outer brace plate and attached at its upper :eiid': to: therinn'er door side, parallel struts between the inner; door sideand the inner brace plate, and a pair of spaced brackets attachedto the inner f ibrace plate-"said, brackets having spaced pivotgjour'nal ,ghearings.

Referenceslfiitedf hy the lixaminer 'UNiTEDZSTATES PATENTS 

1. IN A DUMP VEHICLE HAVING AN UNDERFRAME, A BODY TILTABLY JOURNALED ON THE UNDERFRAME, SAID BODY HAVING A BOTTOM AND ENDS, AN APERTURED APRON EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM EACH SIDE OF THE BOTTOM, SIDE DOORS HINGED TO THE BODY, MEANS ON THE UNDERFRAME FOR TILTING EACH DOOR, EACH DOOR COMPRISING AN INNER SIDE, A TOP PANEL ATTACHED THERETO, A BRACE CONNECTING THE LOWER EDGE OF THE PANEL TO THE SIDE, A LONGITUDINAL BOX GIRDER ON THE LOWER, PORTION OF THE SIDE, AND OUTER BRACE PLATES ATTACHED TO 